Samuel Lennon, Jr. is a devoted husband; a proud father of four; a native, current resident, and engaged community member of Baltimore; and an accomplished entrepreneur. His engaging personality, humbly confident attitude, and leadership savvy has allowed him to excel in both his personal and professional endeavors. Sam is the founder and CEO of L2 Defense, Inc, a technical services firm supporting the Defense and Homeland Security markets. Starting the company in 2012, Sam has grown its staff to seventy full time and nearly two hundred part time employees with offices in Baltimore; Jupiter, FL; and San Antonio, TX. L2 Defense was named to Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies list in 2017, 2018, and 2019; and was named the #1 Fastest Growing Private Company in the Baltimore Metropolitan area in 2018 by the Baltimore Business Journal. In 2019, Sam was recognized by Ernst & Young as an Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist for the Mid-Atlantic Region. Prior to L2 Defense, Sam was a successful Black business executive in the Defense Systems industry, an industry with few people of color in leadership positions. Sam graduated with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and is also a proud member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Sam is active in the Baltimore community, leading and supporting a number of grassroots community initiatives. His community engagements include career exposure for teens and programmatic support for the homeless and military veterans. He is a diehard fan of Baltimore and its culture, history, and people.